Monday, January 21, 2013

Societal Influences on Curriculum

Some of the societal forces that influence curriculum
today are the federal and state government regulations, the business sector and
local culture and values. The federal and state educational regulations, with
their direct ties to funding for schools, have influenced what, where and when
curriculum is taught and assessed. Standardized testing resulting from these
regulations has become the norm, and these tests have come to define how well
schools are achieving their learning goals (Glatterhorn, Boschee, Whitehead
& Boschee, 2012). The business sector influences school curricula today in
that this group recommends the skills and knowledge that students will need to
be employable in the future. The local culture and values of the community also
have a strong influence on school curricula. Generally, it is the local school
board who approves new programs or courses. The expectations, needs and wants of
the community, who often play a role in supporting the school financially, have
influence throughout the school in both positive and negative ways.

As the tides have shifted within our society, so have
the philosophies and approaches to curricula within our schools. This can be
demonstrated throughout history in the ways schools have adapted and changed
over the last 120 years. During the period of great growth and scientific
discovery at the turn of the 20th century, these values of learning about the world through rational and
scientific thought were translated into the curricula of public schools
(Glatterhorn et al., 2012). In our current era of “Modern Conservatism”,
schools are both encouraged and mandated to standardize instruction and hold
themselves accountable to a common national set of standards for all students.
In our highly collaborative and connected world, through the use of 21st
century technologies, students are not only required to master the academic
standards but also learn how to work together across time and space to engage in
collective learning.

While, constant assessment and improvement are key for
positive change within any school curriculum, it is also important for school
leaders to recognize when aspects of the curriculum are working well and change
for the sake of change is not needed. School leaders might be proactive in
avoiding this pitfall by staying current on the society influences that may
impact a school, and be prepared to justify and defend the areas of the
curriculum that are having a positive impact on student performance.